


New Things Shouldn't Be Faced Alone

by hazelNuts



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Angst, BAMF Kira, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, POV Kira, Scent Marking, background Derek/Stiles, but she's also kind of a dork, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-02
Updated: 2015-04-02
Packaged: 2018-03-20 23:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3668808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazelNuts/pseuds/hazelNuts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘I need your help,’ Malia greets her. The girl is standing in the doorway of their dorm room, panting and looking a little frazzled. 'I need you to be my girlfriend.’</p><p>Kira decides to help out her roommate when she goes to meet her (biological) family. It's not so bad, but what will happen with <i>them</i> when they get back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Things Shouldn't Be Faced Alone

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really bad at tagging. If you think I forgot any, please let me know in the comments.

‘I need your help,’ Malia greets her. The girl is standing in the doorway of their dorm room, panting and looking a little frazzled.

Kira’s never seen her like this. Malia’s usually very cool and collected, raising that single eyebrow at anyone who seems to care about more than sleep and food. Which means the eyebrow is permanently raised whenever Kira is in the room.

‘Sure.’ She’s not surprised that she agrees so easily. They might not get along that well, but she wants them to. Plus, if the other girl is looking this desperate, it probably means she’s got the police after her.

That thought makes Kira want to take back her assent, but Malia’s talking again.

‘Good. I need you to be my girlfriend.’

‘What?’ Because, what?

‘I’m meeting my dad’s family over spring break and to show them how well-adjusted and absolutely not like my dad or my mom I am, I told them I had a girlfriend.’

‘But you don’t,’ Kira says. She’s sure of this. She definitely would’ve noticed another girl in this room and Malia’s not gone enough to maintain an actual relationship other than the one with her pillow.

Malia sighs. ‘Yes, so I need you to be my girlfriend.’

‘Why?’

‘So they won’t know I lied, of course.’

‘I’m still confused.’

Malia sighs again and sits down on her bed, facing Kira. Slowly, like she’s talking to a child, she explains everything. She was adopted and now she’s meeting her biological father’s family for the first time. But since both her mom and dad a raging psychopaths, she wanted to show them that she was normal. Or more normal than her parents, at least.

‘Okay, I’ll do it,’ Kira says. She would’ve stayed on campus anyway. Her parents were in Tokyo for six months, so she hadn’t wanted to go home and be alone in New York if she could stay in California, where most of her new friends would at least be near.

‘There’s one other thing,’ the other girl says. She’s looking nervous and torn between running for the door or jumping Kira. And not in a good way. ‘They’re werewolves.’

The bedframe is groaning in Malia’s tight grip. Kira can see the girl’s eyes flash bright blue for a moment. She stays very still not wanting to set her off.

‘Okay,’ she nods.

‘Okay? That’s all you have to say?’

‘Yeah. I mean, I thought were-something. Most weres don’t get along well with kitsunes, but now you say that you’re a werewolf that makes a lot of sense. Werewolves and kitsunes tend to be opposites most of the time. My mom says it’s a pack thing.’

Malia doesn’t respond. She just stares, mouth slightly open and there’s a twitch at the corner of one of her eyes.

‘You knew? I was trying so hard to keep it a secret and you knew? And what the hell is a kitsune?’

‘I- I thought _you_ knew,’ Kira stutters, sliding a little further away from her roommate. She could probably take her, but the room is small and she prefers her things in one piece.

Suddenly Malia has her pushed down onto the bed, a hand on her throat, eyes flashing blue and fangs dropping down. The kitsune has to use all of her willpower to not throw her across the room.

‘Talk.’

‘I’m a kitsune. We’re fox-spirits, tricksters. We all have control over an element. Also-‘ Kira grabs the hand that’s around her throat, sends a small spark of lightning into it, making Malia let go and flinch back. The kitsune pushes the arm away from her, using the little leverage she now has to flip them onto the floor. Malia’s on her stomach and Kira’s straddling her back, keeping a tight grip on Malia’s wrist. She’s pushing it up as far as she dares, without doing any actual damage to Malia’s arm or shoulder. ‘-we’re pretty good at martial arts.’

The girl underneath her is growling, like an actual wolf.

‘I’m going to let go,’ Kira says, sounding calmer than she actually is. ‘And I would like it if you didn’t attack me again. Alright?’

‘Fine,’ Malia says. There’s still a hint of a growl in her voice.

Kira lets go and  moves back carefully, alert. If Malia tries anything, she’s ready. But Malia doesn’t try anything. She gets up and, like Kira, moves back to create more distance. The electric blue of her eyes and the fangs are gone, but there’s a pointiness to her fingernails that Kira finds a little worrying.

‘Look, we’ve gotten along just fine this year. Can’t we go back to that,’ Kira says hopefully. ‘It’s not like anything’s really changed. Right?’

Malia visibly deflates.

‘You’re right. And I still need a girlfriend.’

‘Can I- Do you still want me to do it? I mean, a werewolf and a kitsune dating is a little, uhm, unconventional.’

‘My family is a little unconventional,’ Malia grins. ‘And I’m not a wolf. I’m a coyote.’

~

Turns out, being a fake-girlfriend for someone who’s family is a werewolf is a lot more complicated than Kira would have thought. For the most part, it’s a scent thing. They don’t just have to smell like each other, but they have smell _in love_. Or at least like very close friends.

They’ve started by exchanging clothes. Malia is taller than her, so some of the clothes are a little too big on Kira, and some things that looked absolutely ridiculous on Malia.

They hang out a lot more as well. They study together, eat most meals together, they even go on a couple of “dates”.

It’s a lot of fun. The best thing is, that they really do become friends. Malia is a little rough around the edges and can be a little tactless at times, but most of time she’s really sweet. Not to mention that she’s tough, stubborn, and looks adorable when she smiles. The smile on her face reminds Kira of how little children smile, without hesitation or constraint.

‘Why didn’t we start hanging out sooner?’ Kira asks and blows on her soup, trying to get it to cool sooner.

‘I thought you were weird,’ Malia says, sipping the still scalding hot food. ‘Still do.’

‘Says the person eating still boiling soup.’

‘I heal fast.’

~

‘Why do you keep jiggling your leg?’

‘Because I’m nervous?!’ Kira throws an incredulous glance at Malia. ‘I’m meeting your werewolf family. As your girlfriend. Even though I’m not. They’re going to find out and tear me to pieces.’

‘I don’t think Aunt Talia would do that,’ Malia says, frowning. ‘She might be upset and send us away. And probably growl a bit.’

Kira slaps a hand over her mouth to stifle the squeak that comes up in her throat. It’s Malia’s turn to look incredulous.

‘You have electricity in your fingers and a sword underneath your bed, and your scared to be _growled_ at?’

‘I don’t like confrontation, okay.’

Malia places a hand on her leg, holding it down so it stops moving. The girl is probably just annoyed by the constant movement and tapping, but the touch comforts Kira. She takes a deep breath in and feels the tension leave her body.

‘Better?’ Malia asks. ‘You really don’t have to worry about Aunt Talia. I think it’s my cousins you’ll have to worry about.’

And like that, all the tension’s back. Kira drops her head in her hands and groans. She feels Malia squeeze her leg in comfort (ha), and then the pressure and the hand are gone, replaced by a map.

‘Can you check where we are? It’s supposed to be pretty difficult to find the house.’

‘Can’t you smell it?’

‘I’d have to hang my head out the window. Can’t do that ‘cause I’m driving.’

‘I could-‘

‘No, you’ve fried the battery of my car once. It’s not going to happen again.’

‘I said I was sorry,’ Kira says a little petulantly.

~

All Kira’s worrying was for naught. The Hale family welcomes them with open arms. They’re a little surprised by Kira being a kitsune, but by nightfall one of Malia’s cousins, Cora, has already thought up a new game, or an adjustment to an already existing game, so Kira can show of her swordsmanship.

‘It’s real-life fruit-ninja,’ the girl says enthusiastically. ‘We have a bunch of old fruit that else will just rot away.’

‘What are you going to give her as a sword? A kitchen knife?’ Derek says.

‘I didn’t think of that.’ Cora’s pouting a little. ‘I’m sure mom and dad have a sword or a really big knife, like a bowie knife somewhere.’

‘Actually,’ Kira interjects, ‘my katana’s in the trunk.’

‘You brought your sword?’ three voices call out at the same time. Cora excited, Derek stunned, Malia proud.

‘I always take it with me.’

After one minute of chucking fruit at Kira, they decide she should be blindfolded.

‘You’re really good with that thing,’ Derek says, sounding impressed.

A couple days pass by like that. They play games outside, they’re rougher and more complicated than any game Kira knows, but she glad for the challenge. And after, they clean themselves up and watch television.

When Derek’s boyfriend, Stiles, arrives a couple days later from NYU, the games turn into pranks and then it’s an all-out prank war. Malia, Kira and Cora team up against Laura, Derek and Stiles. The second day of the prank war they find a list of rules from Talia. Anyone breaking them would be sleeping outside for the rest of the week.

It’s not all fun and games, though. There are a couple of awkward moments. They’d practiced being a couple, but actually _being_ a couple is different. The casual touches, the looks, but mostly the not so casual touches. When they’re cuddled up on the couch, Kira can feel her heart beating double time. It takes her two days to stop freezing every time Malia kisses her on the cheek. The first night, Malia has to pull her away from the edge of the mattress, because Kira doesn’t dare lie closer to the other girl.

Kira has never liked her awkwardness much, but she’s a little grateful for it now. The Hales all seem to think the blushes and skipped heartbeats are because of her shyness.

~

By the end of the week, Kira feels at home with the Hales. She gets along really well with everyone, especially with Derek. This makes her feel extremely guilty about lying to them and the night before they leave for Berkeley she’s miserable.

‘What’s wrong? You’re happy, but also not,’ Malia asks her.

They’re lying in bed. Malia’s chest is against Kira’s back, and their legs are tangled together. The coyote is nosing at Kira’s shoulder and her words are no more than a mumble.

‘I’m a horrible person.’

‘No you’re not. You’re the nicest person I know.’

Kira turns around and looks at Malia a little desperately. ‘We should tell them.’

‘No.’

‘But-‘

‘No,’ Malia hisses. ‘We’re going home tomorrow and in two weeks we’ll make up a break-up story. Okay?’ Kira’s not convinced. It must show on her face, because Malia continues, ‘They like me. They like you. We got off to such a great start and I don’t want to ruin it.’

‘Okay,’ Kira agrees, tucking her head in the crook of Malia’s neck.

~

The ride back to Berkeley is odd. It’s starts out great. They’re singing songs together, waving at other people in cars. But as they get closer, Malia gets quieter. She doesn’t really respond to what Kira’s saying and she looks tense. Her hands are gripping the steering wheel tightly and her shoulders are creeping up to her ears.

‘Hey, is everything okay?’ Kira asks.

Malia nods tersely. She doesn’t want to talk about it right now, and that’s fine. Kira can ask again when they get home.

~

They’ve been back on campus for a week and things are, well, things are weird. Kira had expected some things to change, even if it was just a cup of coffee once in a while, but they’ve barely talked. Malia isn’t even in the room that much anymore. Before this entire _thing_ , they wouldn’t be doing things together, but they were okay with sharing space.

Kira misses Malia. She misses her sarcastic comments, her toothy grin, the way she gets excited about trying out new food. She misses her warmth, her hugs, her presence by her side. She misses her voice, her smell. She misses the way Malia sometimes growls in her sleep. She can’t hear that from across the room.

And it’s not like she hasn’t tried. She’d proposed getting dinner together a couple hours ago, but her roommate had actually run out, mumbling something about a paper. Kira had sighed when the door closed, and decided to let it rest. Malia isn’t interested, so it would be better for her to focus on her own papers that were due.

Easier said than done, though. She closes her laptop after writing one page and decides to go to bed early. That paper isn’t going to get written when all she can think of is Malia’s hands brushing through her hair.

~

There’s a crash. Kira stiffens and moves her hand to the knife under her pillow.

‘Fuck,’ Malia mutters.

The kitsune relaxes and burrows back under her covers. She hopes the girl managed to finish her paper. She must’ve been working on it for hours.

Clothes hit the floor and then she hears the door opens and closes. Kira dozes off again, not disturbed by Malia returning to their room. She is disturbed by the fact that her covers are pulled off of her and Malia slides in behind her.

Kira freezes. What should she do? She should probably say something. Yes, she should do that.

‘Uhm, Malia?’ she whispers.

Malia’s response is to cuddle closer and nuzzle her neck. Kira turns a little so she can look at the girl. This has to be some kind of prank right? There’s no other option. But there has to be, because the look on Malia’s face radiates contentment. It’s completely relaxed, aside from the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Kira really doesn’t want to do this, but she also doesn’t want Malia to be mad at her when she wakes tomorrow morning.

‘Malia?’ she whispers a little louder. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Hmm.’ That’s all Kira gets.

There’s nothing for it. She closes her eyes and braces herself. Bringing her hand to the one Malia has pressed against her stomach, she lets a small spark of electricity leave her fingers.

There’s a soft growl behind her, but no sign that the coyote is actually awake.

Kira connects their hands again, but this time she lets an actual shock travel between them.

Malia lets go with a yelp. She shoots back and lands on the floor in a tangle of blankets.

‘What the hell?!’ she hisses.

Kira knows she shouldn’t laugh, but the sight of the coyote, fangs dropped, eyes glowing, and claws extended, lying on the floor in a mess of blankets, is a little funny.

‘I’m sorry,’ she says, barely holding back her grin. ‘You just got into bed with me and I couldn’t get you to wake up.’

‘Oh.’ Was Malia blushing? ‘Sorry.’

The girls scrambles up from the floor, throws Kira’s blankets back at her and then dives into her own bed.

Kira doesn’t fall asleep, but listens to Malia’s even breathing.

~

It’s been three weeks since they’ve come back now, and they still haven’t broken up. Kira’s been talking to Cora and Derek, trying to hint at a potential break up, but since Malia’s been avoiding her even more since that night, they haven’t come up with a good story yet. She’s going to put her foot down, Kira decides. Malia’s going to talk to her, whether she likes it or not.

She’d hoped that after crawling into bed with her, Malia would start hanging out with her again, but she hasn’t seen her more than twice. Even on the weekends, the other girl always finds some excuse to not be in the same room as Kira.

The plan is perfect. Kira’s going to hide in the closet with her katana. Then, when Malia gets back, she’s going to force her to talk, at sword point. The only escape route is through the window, but Kira’s blocked that with all of Malia’s electronics and some pizza boxes.

She hears the door to their floor close and the coyote’s near silent footsteps are approaching the room. She holds her breath and slows down her heartrate. She doesn’t want Malia to know she’s in the room. She might turn around and leave. It’s happened before.

The door opens.

One.

Kira jumps out, pointing the tip of her katana at Malia’s chest, flashing her eyes for extra effect. The other girl stumbles back a little, but quickly recovers, raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest.

‘What are you doing?’

‘We need to break up. I can’t lie to your cousins much longer and this is the only way I figured you would talk to me.’

‘By pointing a sword at me?’

‘Yes?’ Now that it’s said out loud, Kira’s no longer so sure of the brilliancy of her plan. ‘Look, if you hadn’t been avoiding me, I wouldn’t have to this.’

For a second it looks like Malia is going to sacrifice her laptop and jump out of the window anyway, but then she looks up at Kira directly. There’s a little nervousness in her eyes, a twitch in her fingers.

‘There’s a reason.’

‘I know. You don’t really like me, but-‘

Malia is shaking her head. ‘No. I do like you. That’s the problem.’

Kira lowers her arm. What?

‘Look.’ Malia pulls something from under her pillow. It’s one of Kira’s shirts. She’s been looking for that for over a week. It disappeared the night after-

‘Oh.’

‘Do you get it now?’

Yes. ‘No, could you explain it.’

Malia must have heard the uptick in her heartbeat, because she rolls her eyes and a smile is tugging at the corner of her mouth. But she still explains it.

‘I miss you. Two weeks ago, I was half-asleep and thinking about how I wanted to curl up next to you. And then I came back and you were still smelling like _us_. I couldn’t sleep that night. I could smell your scent, but it was too far away. So I put one of your shirts under my pillow.’

Kira’s grin is threatening to split her face in two, her skin buzzing from excitement. She throws her katana on the bed and walks up to Malia. Threading her fingers in the girl’s hair, she pulls her down for a kiss. Her lips are tingling when she pulls back, and from the look on Malia’s face in wasn’t just feelings that sparked between them.

‘Sorry.’

‘It’s okay. I like it,’ Malia says and dives in for another kiss. This one is completely different from the small peck Kira had given. The kitsune can feel sharp nails digging into her hips as she’s pulled closer. And those are definitely fangs nibbling at her lips. Kira grins into it and lets the lightning zip over her skin as she jumps up and wraps her legs around Malia’s waist.

‘Wait,’ Kira says after a while, panting. ‘Just so we’re clear, this means we won’t need a break-up story?’

Malia hums her affirmation as she nibbles on Kira’s neck.

‘But we are going to tell them the truth.’

This has Malia pull back and stare at her with wide eyes. ‘What?’

‘I’m a terrible liar and if we’re going to do this it means I’m going to have to tell people how we got together. People like my parents, who will want to meet your family at some point.’

‘Fine, but can we do it tomorrow? My evening’s booked.’

‘Oh.’ Kira can’t suppress her disappointment. She’d hoped to spend a little more time with her new girlfriend before she had to take off again. ‘What will you be doing?’

‘You, I hope.’

~

They’re sitting at the desk, waiting for Derek to pick up the Skype call. Kira’s sitting in Malia’s lap, who is nuzzling at her neck. If she’d known how cuddly the coyote would get, she would’ve pulled out her katana a lot sooner.

Derek’s face finally appears on the screen.

‘Hey,’ he starts, but then his eyes move from one girl to the other. He jumps out of his chair and they can hear him yelling for his sisters and Stiles. Ten seconds later four faces are being mushed together on the screen.

‘Oh my god,’ Laura sighs.

‘I can’t believe it. It’s so soon,’ Cora says, eyes big in what is apparently disbelief.

‘I told you,’ Stiles says. He’s grinning like a maniac.

‘Hold on,’ Derek interrupts them. ‘We don’t know when this happened.’

Four faces turn towards the camera, expectant looks on their faces.

‘What is happening?’ Kira mumbles.

‘I don’t know,’ Malia hisses back.

‘Come on, guys,’ Stiles urges them. ‘Don’t keep us waiting. When did you two get together? For real this time.’

‘How did you-‘ Kira starts, but she’s interrupted by Malia.

‘Last night.’

‘Ha,’ Stiles says, disappearing from the screen. ‘Ha! Ha! That’s fifty bucks, baby!’ They can see one of his arms waving around. It sounds like he’s doing a victory dance. ‘Looks like we’ll be eating somewhere fancy this week, Big Guy.’ He’s back on the screen to plant a kiss on Derek’s cheek.

Derek turns to his boyfriend, eyes big with wonder. ‘You mean we’ll go somewhere where they have _cutlery_?’

‘Yes. There might even be candles.’

‘Careful,’ Cora interjects. ‘His standards might go up.’

Kira’s not really taking any of it in. All she really took from the little exchange was that they all knew she and Malia weren’t a couple.

‘You knew?’ she eventually manages to say.

‘The two of you reeked of pining,’ Cora says.

‘And after having to put up with these two pining for each other for years, we’re more at home with that smell than we want to be,’ Laura adds, pointing at Derek and Stiles.

‘You’re not mad?’

‘Nah,’ Stiles shrugs. ‘You two are too adorable together. Besides, it wasn’t a total lie. We could tell you guys were totally into each other. You just weren’t admitting it.’

‘Oh.’ Kira feels a blush creeping onto her cheeks and turns to Malia to ask her if that’s true, but Malia isn’t paying attention to the people on the screen. She’s looking at Kira. And when Kira opens her mouth to ask her question, Malia quickly covers it with her own.

There’s a chorus of ‘Awws’ coming from the screen. Kira reaches out a hand and closes it, cutting off Stiles’ indignant squawk.

She gets up so she can straddle her girlfriend.

‘Did you really like me before we left?’

‘Yes,’ Malia nods.

‘Good. So did I.’

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://fandom-madnessess.tumblr.com/).


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